10 Ashes Tests may give BBL a whack

THE Big Bash League, we were promised, would save traditional cricket. But in the relatively early stages of a season where viewing figures and attendances for BBL matches have declined, you might ask what is going to save the BBL.

Even louder music? Stumps that not only light up, but fly out of the ground like rockets? More dancing bears? A ban on yorkers and the mandatory revelation by spinners about which ball they are going to bowl next - to the batsman, not just the viewing audience.

Traditionalists should not yet dance - a very restrained ceremonial waltz, none of that hip-gyrating Twenty20 stuff - on the grave of the very-limited-overs game. The numbers revealing a decline in interest in the BBL do not necessarily point to its demise.

BBL audiences on Fox Sports last year were greatly boosted by the reappearance of Shane Warne, and the first-season novelty factor.

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The perception of poor crowds this season has been enhanced by the sight of thousands of empty seats at Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades games, particularly. Besides being the ''other'' teams in their cities, both have large stadiums to fill. Particularly the Thunder at cavernous ANZ Stadium. So a high ball, like a bomb at a poorly attended NRL match, was always going to reveal unpopulated decks.

The trend might be down but, for a domestic league deprived of talented players because of the unfortunate scheduling conflict - particularly the bombastic David Warner, the results are still robust. As robust as you could expect for a competition that glorifies the slog.

The greater problem for Australian cricket is that the BBL figures reflect a downturn in interest in the game as a whole this summer. Poor Test crowds in Hobart are not unusual, but there is a feeling many will attend the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests this year more out of habit than expectation.

An obvious factor is the departure of the South Africans. In profile, the limited-overs-oriented Sri Lankans were always going to be a hard sell. But Cricket Australia would be foolish to ignore the lacklustre feeling that has pervaded this season.

Relief is at hand. Not from another bit of bash and thrash, but from the most traditional source of cricketing friction. Back-to-back Ashes series - 10 consecutive Test matches - away, and then home, against the Old Enemy will have authorities rubbing their hands together.